2000
#3,569
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.38
Uncommon Last name
Carvalho
A Portuguese toponymic surname referring to an area covered with oak trees or derived from the word for "oak."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,334 Americans carry the last name Carvalho. That puts it at #3,023 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,705 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carvalho surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Carvalho with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 25,705
Census rank
#3,023
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,628 bearers of the surname Carvalho in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3023rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carvalho, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.8%) and Two or More Races (6.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carvalho
The surname Carvalho is of Portuguese origin, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Portuguese word "carvalho," which means "oak tree." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near an oak grove or in an area where oak trees were abundant.
The earliest recorded instances of the Carvalho surname can be found in medieval documents from the northern regions of Portugal, particularly in the area around the city of Porto. In these records, the name often appears in various spellings, such as "Carvallo," "Carvalhio," and "Carvalhão," reflecting the linguistic evolution of the Portuguese language over time.
One notable historical figure bearing the Carvalho surname was Rui de Carvalho, a 14th-century Portuguese nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. He was born around 1320 and served as a commander under King Alfonso IV during the conquest of the Algarve region.
Another prominent individual with the Carvalho surname was Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, better known as the Marquis of Pombal, who lived from 1699 to 1782. He was a renowned Portuguese statesman and prime minister during the reign of King Joseph I. Pombal is credited with implementing significant reforms and modernizing Portugal during the Age of Enlightenment.
In the literary realm, Joaquim Machado de Carvalho, born in 1837 and better known by his pen name Júlio Dinis, was a notable Portuguese novelist and playwright. His works, such as "A Morgadinha dos Canaviais" and "As Pupilas do Senhor Reitor," are considered classics of Portuguese literature and provide insights into 19th-century Portuguese society.
The Carvalho surname is also associated with several place names in Portugal, such as Carvalho de Estarreja, a parish in the municipality of Aveiro, and Carvalho, a civil parish in the municipality of Murtosa. These place names likely originated from the presence of oak trees in those areas, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and the oak tree.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning Camilo Castelo Branco, a prolific 19th-century Portuguese writer and novelist who was born in 1825 with the surname Carvalho but later changed it to Castelo Branco. His works, including "Amor de Perdição" and "Novelas do Minho," are considered masterpieces of Portuguese literature and have had a lasting impact on the country's cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carvalho
Among Census respondents with the surname Carvalho, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.8%) and Two or More Races (6.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Carvalho bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Carvalho surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.9% · 8,476
- Hispanic or Latino9.8% · 1,143
- Two or more races6.2% · 718
- Black or African American5.8% · 673
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.1% · 592
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carvalho
Carvalho appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,302
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,877
+1,746 bearers (+19.1%)
Per 100,000 3.69
Rank movement Up 267 places
2020
#3,023
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,628
+751 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 3.89
Rank movement Up 279 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,569 | 9,131 | 3.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,302 | 10,877 | 3.69 | +1,746 bearers (+19.1%) | Up 267 places |
| 2020 | #3,023 | 11,628 | 3.89 | +751 bearers (+6.9%) | Up 279 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Carvalho surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,302 | #3,023 | 8.4% |
| Count | 10,877 | 11,628 | 6.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.69 | 3.89 | 5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carvalho bearers went from 10,877 to 11,628 (+6.9% change). The surname moved up 279 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,302 to #3,023.
FAQ
Carvalho surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carvalho?
Name Census estimates that about 13,334 living Americans carry the surname Carvalho. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,705 residents.
How common is Carvalho?
Carvalho ranks #3,023 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.89 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,628 people with the surname Carvalho. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,334), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.89 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Carvalho.
Has Carvalho become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carvalho went from 10,877 recorded bearers to 11,628. That is an increase of 751 (+6.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,302 to #3,023.
What does the Census say about the background of Carvalho?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carvalho, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.8%) and Two or More Races (6.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Carvalho in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.9% (8,476 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carvalho appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.9%), Hispanic (9.8%), Two or More Races (6.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Carvalho (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Carvalho mean?
A Portuguese toponymic surname referring to an area covered with oak trees or derived from the word for "oak." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Carvalho (3.89 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Carvalho?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.